How crowded is it Dec. 20-23?

[pomcoach]

My sister and I are getting older, and we thought it'd be nice if we take a "sister" vacation. I teach school, so my dates are limited. We both don't do well in the heat, so we thought December would be good. My school closes for Winter Break on Friday, Dec. 19, so we thought we'd fly out that night. That would give us Dec. 20,21,& 22 to visit the parks (Sat.,Sun.,& Mon.) and then fly home the day before Christmas Eve on Dec. 23rd-Tuesday.
My sister has never been to WDW before and doesn't travel at all. I can't wait to see her reaction? I know she'll love it! It's a shame I can't get her to stay longer, but she is a homebody, and must be home before Christmas Eve.
We could possibly wait until next year, when I'd be able to fly out a little earlier on Dec. 17th.
Question is: Do you think this time of year is just so crowded that it won't be worth the effort and money for the 3 days. When does the Christmas crowd really start arriving? When does it reach the max.?
Thanks for any help and for reading.
Pomcoach

 

[dvc guy]

We go often over the Christmas break. If your school gets out on the 19th my guess is a lot of other school will also.

You will be there over a weekend , which will mean more people. It will be plenty busy, but not as busy as from the 25 thru the 2nd.

WDW at Christmas is a magical time. If you are planning on seeing everything during that time frame forget it. If you can go with the flow and enjoy the magical time I would take a shot.

Make your Ps's early or you end up eating
counter service for dinner. We headed back from the 12/28 -1/2 fro our first NYE can wait.

 

[dclwdwlover]

I'm sure there's people that could give you more recent feedback than me because I haven't been to the parks at this time of year for years, but that's because we try to go at a less busy time of year - late Oct./early Nov. because of crowd. Also, I am not a heat person so I always stay away during the summer.

That being said, the weather in Dec. I have found to be decent. I visited WDW probably 10x @ C-mas time. The attendance seemed to pick up by around the 23rd & the closer you get to the 25th the worst it is. As was said, the 25th on is horrendous. Example: I remember waiting an average of 2-2 1/2 hrs./ride during the C-mas holiday in comparison to '0' - 30 min. during our favorite visiting times of mid-March or Oct/Nov.

I did go 2x around the dates you are contemplating & it really wasn't that bad. I would say GO FOR IT, definitely. I think you'll have a wonderful time & your sister will love & appreciate it. Also, the biggest plus to going around C-mas is that it is absolutely GORGEOUS. The decorations around the entire property are something you will always remember. I believe that the hours of operation are longer, too.

I know that a pre-planned park strategy would probably help immensely to make the most of your visit - attraction-wise and finance-wise.

Keep visiting these boards for tips. Watch the early entry hours if you're staying on-site - which I highly recommend for convenience purposes & getting the most of your stay, also. Even though I have been in excess of 50x I purchased Birnbaum's Guide to WDW 2 visits ago & found it extremely helpful in strategizing & just being prepared.

 

[pomcoach]

bump

 

[3AmigosMom]

We've gone the week before Christmas the last 2 out of 3 years. Can't remember our check out dates exactly (I think 2-3 days before Christmas) but we had very light crowds up until our last day. We always hang around our resort the last day and fly out later in the evening. Both times people were "swarming" at the front desks to start their holiday breaks. IMHO, your dates look great!!